Good Faith Estimate

A good faith estimate, referred to as a GFE, was a standard form that (prior to 2015) had to be provided by a mortgage lender or broker in the United States to a consumer, as required by the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). Since August 2015, GFE has been replaced by a loan estimate form, serving the same purpose but following slightly different guidelines set by CFPB, so as to reduce consumer confusion. A good faith estimate (or a loan estimate) is a standard form intended to be used to compare different offers (or quotes) from different lenders or brokers. The estimate must include an itemized list of fees and costs associated with the loan and must be provided within 3 business days of applying for a loan. Since RESPA does not apply to Business Purpose Loans, no GFE is provided in those transactions.

These mortgage fees, also called settlement costs or closing costs, cover every expense associated with a home loan, including inspections, title insurance, taxes and other charges.

The good faith estimate is only an estimate. The final closing costs may be different; however the difference can only be 10% of the third party fees. Once a good faith estimate is issued the lender/broker cannot change the fees in the origination box.

The fees included within a good faith estimate fall into six basic categories:

The following is a list of the typical charges. Each charge starts with a number – the same number as the number of the charge on a HUD-1 Real Estate Settlement Statement. This makes it easier to compare the charges a loan applicant receives on the good faith estimate to the HUD-1.

800 ITEMS PAYABLE IN CONNECTION WITH LOAN:

This fee is a charge for originating or creating the loan

This is an upfront charge paid to the lender to get a lower mortgage rate – the same as “buying the rate down”

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